Puzzle at a Glance
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Puzzle number in The Daily Telegraph
DT 29332 | |
Publication date in The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | |
Setter
Jay (Jeremy Mutch) | |
Link to full review
Big Dave's Crossword Blog [DT 29332]
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Big Dave's Crossword Blog review written by
2Kiwis | |
BD rating
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| Difficulty - ★★★ | Enjoyment - ★★★★ |
Falcon's experience
┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
███████████████████████████████████ └────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┴────┘ | |
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Legend:
█ - solved without assistance
█ - incorrect prior to use of puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with assistance from puzzle solving tools
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by puzzle solving tools
█ - solved but without fully parsing the clue
█ - unsolved or incorrect prior to visiting Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - solved with aid of checking letters provided by solutions from Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - reviewed by Falcon for Big Dave's Crossword Blog
█ - yet to be solved
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Introduction
Judging by the commentary on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, most people seemed to find this puzzle to be rather on the gentle side. That is also generally true in my own case, although I did experience a mental roadblock at 27a and resorted to activating my electronic assistants to help me cross the finish line.I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Notes on Today's Puzzle
This commentary is intended to serve as a supplement to the review of this puzzle found at Big Dave's Crossword Blog, to which a link is provided in the table above.
| Markup Conventions | |
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| Click here for further explanation and usage examples of markup conventions used on this blog. | |
Across
| 1a | Understands when hugging wife /and/ goes from one extreme to the other ... (7) |
| 9a | ... abandoned /and/ depressed (8) |
| 10a | Very strange // county -- mostly a lake (7) |
Surrey[5] is a county of southeastern England.
What did they say?
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In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis describe the required county asone of the home counties. The Home Counties[5] are the counties surrounding London in south-east England, into which London has extended. They comprise chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire. No exact definition of the term exists and the composition of the Home Counties remains a matter of debate. While Oxford Dictionaries restrictively lists them as being chiefly Essex, Kent, Surrey, and Hertfordshire, Wikipedia tells us that the Home Counties[7] are generally considered to include Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex (although Sussex does not border London). Other counties more distant from London, such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hampshire and Oxfordshire are also sometimes included in the list due to their close proximity to the capital and their connection to the London regional economy. |
| 11a | Draw attention to European // standard-bearer (8) |
| 12a | Set off, /finding/ answer during meal (6) |
| 13a | Promise of union // action (10) |
| 15a | List /of/ workers needing uniform (4) |
"uniform " = U [NATO Phonetic Alphabet]
In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Uniform[5] is a code word representing the letter U.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
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In what is commonly known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet[7]*, Uniform[5] is a code word representing the letter U.
* officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet
hide
| 16a | Religious offices /may see/ mostly prudish discourses (9) |
A priorate[10] is the office, status, or term of office of a prior*.
* A prior[10] is a monk ranking immediately below an abbot. A prior may serve as the head of a small monastery (which would be known as a priory[5]) or as the deputy head of a large monastery (which would be known as an abbey as it is led by an abbot).
| 21a | The Irish will welcome // a person who succeeds (4) |
Succeed[10] is used in the sense of inherit.
| 22a | 13's man perhaps /may find/ good space on second-class travel (10) |
The
numeral "13" is a cross
reference indicator to clue13a (show more ).
To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
hide
To complete the clue, a solver must replace the cross reference indicator with the solution to the clue starting in the light* identified by the cross reference indicator.
The cross reference indicator may include a directional indicator but this is customarily done only in situations where there are both Across and Down clues originating in the light that is being referenced.
* light-coloured cell in the grid
hide
| 24a | Nothing genuine about Democrat/'s/ trial (6) |
"Democrat " = D [member or supporter of US political party]
| 25a | Drug /provided by/ popular mainly healthy worker (8) |
"worker " = ANT
The terms "worker" and "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.
A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.
In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.
hide
The terms "worker" and "social worker" are commonly used in cryptic crossword puzzles to clue ANT or BEE.
A worker[5] is a neuter or undeveloped female bee, wasp, ant, or other social insect, large numbers of which do the basic work of the colony.
In crossword puzzles, "worker" will most frequently be used to clue ANT and occasionally BEE but I have yet to see it used to clue WASP. Of course, "worker" is sometimes also used to clue HAND or MAN.
hide
| 27a | Bank/'s/ retainer? (7) |
Bank[5] is used in the sense of deposit (money or valuables) in a bank ⇒
she may have banked a cheque in the wrong account.
Retainer[5] (also retaining fee) is used in the sense of a fee [essentially a deposit] paid in advance to someone, especially a barrister, in order to secure their services for use when required.
Post Mortem
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| I used a word finder program to identify words matching the checking letters. Even once I had identified the correct solution, I was still unsure about the parsing and had to confirm my answer with the 2Kiwis review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog. |
| 28a | Rebellion // at university on the increase (8) |
In British English, up[5] means at or to a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge ⇒
they were up at Cambridge about the same time.
| 29a | Inoffensive // source of delay in anyone on the move (7) |
Down
| 2d | Australian runners will welcome recent // copies (8) |
The emu[5] is a large flightless fast-running Australian bird resembling the ostrich, with shaggy gray or brown plumage, bare blue skin on the head and neck, and three-toed feet.
| 3d | Suddenly appear // in court after season (6,2) |
Up[2] is used in the sense of appearing in court ⇒
up before the judge.
What did they say?
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In their review on Big Dave's Crossword Blog, the 2Kiwis describe the season in question as the oneRemember, this puzzle was published on April 8 in the UK.just starting in the Northern Hemisphere |
| 4d | Women dressed in the gear /for/ surviving (10) |
The abbreviation for women or women's is W[2]. The latter designates a clothing size while the former might be seen on the door to the ladies' room.
| 5d | Duck // drink with lass, ignoring idiot (4) |
The teal[5] is a small freshwater duck, typically with a greenish band on the wing that is most prominent in flight.
| 6d | Soft on guest's entertaining // language (6) |
| 7d | The legal profession love clear // title (7) |
"love " = O [nil score in tennis]
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
hide
In tennis, squash, and some other sports, love[5] is a score of zero or nil ⇒
love fifteen. The resemblance of a zero written as a numeral (0) to the letter O leads to the cryptic crossword convention of the word "love" being used to clue this letter.
Although folk etymology has connected the word with French l'oeuf 'egg', from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero, the term apparently comes from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money).
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A baronet[5] is a member of the lowest hereditary titled British order, with the status of a commoner but able to use the prefix ‘Sir’.
| 8d | Feels bitter about // lease payments covering empty stable (7) |
| 11d | Begin to understand // amount exposed (6,3) |
| 14d | Shift // AGM -- one vote for a change (3,1,4,2) |
Shift[5] is used in a British sense meaning to move quickly ⇒
you'll have time for a bite if you shift.
Scratching the Surface
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| AGM*[5] is the abbreviation for Annual General Meeting*[5], a yearly meeting of the members or shareholders of a club, company, or other organization, especially for holding elections and reporting on the year's events. * Lexico shows both the term and its abbreviation as being British. However, in my experience, the term is common in Canada, if not North America. |
| 17d | The girl would look and notice // a large amount (8) |
Shedload[5] is an informal British term for a large amount or number ⇒
had she decided to join a rival, she would doubtless be earning a shedload of money.
Origin: a euphemism for 'shitload'
| 18d | Drink /and/ fresh bait eaten by cat (8) |
| 19d | Old boy with debts accepting five /will be/ clear (7) |
"old boy " = OB
In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
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In Britain, an old boy[5] (abbreviation OB[2]) is:
- a former male student of a school or college ⇒
an old boy of Banbury County School
- a former male member of a sports team or company ⇒
the White Hart Lane old boy squared the ball to present an easy chance from 12 yards
‘Look here, old boy,’ he said.
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| 20d | Dries up, // accompanied by the Queen on last of duties (7) |
"the Queen " = ER [regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth]
The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
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The regnal ciphers (monograms) of British monarchs are initials formed from the Latin version of their first name followed by either Rex or Regina (Latin for king or queen, respectively). Thus, the regnal cipher of Queen Elizabeth is ER[5] — from the Latin Elizabetha Regina.
* A cipher[5] (also cypher) is a monogram[5] or motif of two or more interwoven letters, typically a person's initials, used to identify a personal possession or as a logo.
hide
| 23d | Join up // forming lines on time (6) |
| 26d | Sisters -- // one in France in the outskirts of Nimes (4) |
"one in France " = UN
Scratching the Surface
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| Nîmes[5] is a city in southern France. It is noted for its many well-preserved Roman remains. |
Key to Reference Sources:
[1] - The Chambers Dictionary, 11th Edition
[2] - Search Chambers - (Chambers 21st Century Dictionary)
[3] - TheFreeDictionary.com (American Heritage Dictionary)
[4] - TheFreeDictionarycom (Collins English Dictionary)
[5] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Dictionary of English)
[6] - Lexico (formerly Oxford Dictionaries Online) (Oxford Advanced American Dictionary)
[7] - Wikipedia
[8] - Reverso Online Dictionary (Collins French-English Dictionary)
[9] - Infoplease (Random House Unabridged Dictionary)
[10] - CollinsDictionary.com (Collins English Dictionary)
[11] - TheFreeDictionary.com (Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary)
[12] - CollinsDictionary.com (Webster’s New World College Dictionary)
[13] - MacmillanDictionary.com (Macmillan Dictionary)
[14] - CollinsDictionary.com (COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary)
Signing off for today — Falcon
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